"I'm Gajeel Redfox. I come in name of the High Lord of Therden."
Nothing more was needed to say. Gajeel proudly showed his golden insignia, in which a dragon was breathing forever in order to represent the king's shield, backing up his word as one of the prince's guards. Not only just a knight of course, in which case his insignia would be made of copper, nor was he a general, given that his insignia would be made of pure silver. No; he was no more no less than the personal guard of the future ruler of Therden, his insignia made of pure gold stating the truth. He was the right hand of the king himself, the toughest knight known not only in the kingdom, but along the world. His harsh tone and incredible skills were feared and respected. It was said he knew a hundred ways to kill, and he was an expert when it came to chasing down bandits. He was in charge of security, and also the most well paid mercenary in the whole world. He was bound to bring justice no matter how, dark and bright side of the same coin, and he was damn proud of it.
"Is that enough? Gihee…"
The warm gleam of his proof made the eyes of the guy in front of him go wide. "I'm sorry, milord. You can enter" The royal knight smirked before taking a step towards the man. Gajeel knew a guard was not needed to keep such a building, its only purpose to deny access to unworthy travellers. However, the knight wasn't one of those, and to Gajeel's satisfaction, the guard of the building did a quick bow and took a step aside, inviting Gajeel to get inside The Library.
The Library. Not just a library, but the best among them. The greatest archive across the kingdoms, the source of all knowledge of a vast world. A legend as old as time- its wonders unthinkable, its secrets unimaginable. Only a few people had the privilege of walk along those luxurious halls.
No wonder why it was so well hidden, far from where Gajeel came from. It took a year of search, lots of stories along the way, and countless rumours of its possible location. And yet, he finally was there; an addition to those few who were blessed with the view of the building. As soon as he set foot inside, the knight was marvelled with the might of the halls, and its endless shelves full of books. All the stories he had heard were suddenly confirmed by the majesty of the place.
He was overwhelmed. The smell of old books, the feeling of being tiny compared to the place, of being just a small addition to the world. His pride and his insignia were worth nothing there. Even Gajeel, usually an arrogant and rude man, knew when he had to kneel. His breath hitched, not out of thrill but because of awe. Respect was what he felt in that place, and so, he bowed.
Once he was done with his feelings, his eyes narrowed in concentration, and his mind focused quickly in what his task was, pushing aside all thoughts that weren't according to what he had to do. He walked through tall halls and lacerated floors with a fast pace, respectful and yet trespassing, a bit lost but completely knowing what he needed. He had to find The Librarian.
The ultimate guardian. That who walked along the books and scrolls, the only one who could remain sane between the pages, the one who knew and remembered every book of every shelve and could trace down whichever was needed. Its title was as mighty as The Library itself. And yet, its identity remained a secret.
All who had seen it, lately forgot its appearance- the only memory the travellers held onto were their adventures in The Library and that of an ethereal voice that helped them through. This was said to be a spell casted by The Librarian, not wanting, or not allowed, to reveal itself. The legends couldn't even agree whether it was an immortal being, or a name passed along the ages for different generations to guard the place as well. However, The Librarian was an incredible being, powerful, wise and knowing, and that was a fact that all stories agreed with.
However, Gajeel didn't care for those stories at all. He wanted to find The Librarian once and for all, and finally end his task.
"Now, where is it? I ain't have much time here and ain't risking."
An impatient tone stating the truth. A person could not remain inside The Library for more than a day, and the rumours said that if not, the one who dared break the rules would be turned into a book, and be forever kept in the depths of the building. Gajeel wasn't eager with this idea, and so, after a year of searching, he was suddenly in a hurry. This was the only story Gajeel would ever listen to, not wanting to risk himself to turn into a book. And so, he kept walking by the thin line of impatience, cursing inwardly.
"My my, how can I help you, human?"
Gajeel stopped in his tracks, the voice coming from behind him. The sound was charming, radiating peace and care. He felt his own body eager to turn around, find the source of that pacing spell. But Gajeel knew better, and stood there quietly.
"Who're ya?" he asked, his voice quite monotone for a ferocious man.
"Ah, but who could I be if not The Librarian?"
It was strange. The voice was just as the stories told, ethereal like a whisper, like a breath. Nor male nor female, and nothing in between. It could easily be mistaken by a swift breeze. Could it be that the guardian of the building had actually no more identity than the mere apparition of a voice? And yet, it came from behind him, hiding after Gajeel's back. Curiosity bloomed inside him like a flower during spring.
"Hmm. Strange. You want to be a tough person, I can see that. No, you're known for being a tough person. And yet, the brightness of your heart shines with a different wind. Turn around, I want to see your face."
The knight felt his face wet with sweat, the conversation with the being had turned a completely different way than he expected. Nervous, he knew he had to do as he was commanded, and so he pushed his feelings aside and turned around to face whatever the voice wanted him to face.
And if what he was told was unexpected, he was totally not prepared for what he saw next.
It was a she. A petite she, if the ache in his neck meant something as he darted his eyes down to look at her. A she who held a book, nonchalantly turning the pages without facing him directly. A flower adorning her head, a hairband holding her short blue hair, a few locks decorating her pale and tiny face. She was beautiful, wearing a shiny gold long-sleeved dress, reaching the floor around her and fitting her perfectly.
He breathed out, trying to find something to say.
"Y-you…" But nothing came out.
Without breath, he observed as she stopped reading and darted her eyes in order to look at him. Hazel wells saw through his soul a few moments before she smiled up at him.
"See? I was right. You're actually a nice person!"
And with those strange words, completely crashing against the seriousness of the voice he heard before, she laughed briefly. A beautiful song to be heard. Her voice was nothing like before, the peaceful, caring and charming tone remained, but the airy sound of it was long gone, replaced by a soft, sweet and tiny voice. He wanted to laugh too, relieved for reasons he didn't know.
"Now," she closed the book, and as soon as she held it in the air, the object flew out of her hands and went back to its apparent place on a high shelve. She smiled softly. "Gajeel, right? What can I help you with? May I remind you that we have only a day, and time flies faster when you're reading?"
However, Gajeel had something else in his mind. "How do ya know my name?"
"I know all. Now, the list."
"How do you know-"
"Give it to me," she insisted.
His mind was suddenly blank. But still he knew he had a task. He darted his eyes to avoid her intense gaze as he searched the numerous pockets of his cloak. The prince had been rather clear with what he needed to find, but Gajeel couldn't bring himself to say anything out loud.
"Here."
He held out a tiny scroll, fixing his gaze on a few books that were on the floor. He couldn't help a soft blush when her hands reached out for the scroll, softly touching his fingers. He could swear she laid her hand there a little while, before letting go.
"Let's see…"
While she read the list and assimilated what was needed, a few books started to fly out of the shelves. Two, three, four. They flew slightly, like autumn leaves that fell to the ground in a gracious way and piled up without hesitation. Gajeel stared at the scene with wide eyes, once again contemplating The Librarian's magic.
And yet, the girl looked as if nothing was happening, still reading and doing magic without even blinking. She hummed under her breath as a concentrated expression covered her face. Adorable. Gajeel couldn't help himself and finally looked back at her..
He laughed internally over the crazy situation. He had come from a faraway realm under the prince's orders, hoping to find an old man or some ghost guarding the halls of The Library. And there he was, Gajeel, The Dragon Slayer, blushing while talking to a cute girl inside the most important building of the world.
"Oi, what's yer name?"
"Oh?" she looked back, finding a surprised Gajeel, not believing his own words. She stood there in shock, wide eyes staring at him. A book that was frozen in the air suddenly fell to the ground. "My… name?" she blinked, and then said in a nervous whisper "… no one had ever asked me that."
The blue haired girl stared at the ground, a soft blush staining her cheeks. No one had ever minded to ask her name, no one had ever cared. If she even remembered her own name, was because she told it to herself once in a while, not wanting to lose her identity. Her smile faded, her always cheerful mask flushing away. She was just a tool, forever bound to loneliness. None of those few who came around wanted to stablish a small conversation.
Of course, she loved books. She loved her job. Forever surrounded by words, she thought she should be happy. However, something was always missing. Something that books and knowledge could not fill. Always feeling that emptiness come back as soon as one of those travelers left behind the big doors and forgot about her, forever.
And yet, there he was. Gajeel Redfox. A knight without armor. He cared. He had asked her name. She looked back at him, still quite shocked. He was different, she told herself. And then, she smiled, again. A genuine smile, just as when she had first saw his face, when she had determined the goodness of his heart. Happy, cheerful, a smile that no one had ever had the pleasure to actually see, but the man in front of her.
Gajeel noted a tiny difference this time. A different light sparkled her eyes. "My actual name is Levy. Levy Mcgarden. Nice to meet you!"
Her name invaded Gajeel's mind as she rolled the scroll and held it out to him, still blushing and smiling. Her stance was a little more closed than before, as if she was shy about something. He was about to ask if she was okay, when she interrupted him.
"I have everything I need."
She took a step back and reached out her hand to a side, the books Gajeel had looked at suddenly flew far from the floor and straight back to their places at the highest shelves. When they were all settled, Levy turned around, as if checking for more misplaced books, intentionally overseeing the books they needed from those shelves.
Gajeel had a realization out of the blue, and laughed quietly at the thought. He reached out a hand, and without any warning, started tapping the petite girl's head slightly.
"Yer short!"
She looked back at him, wide eyed. Under his hand, her head seemed a whole lot smaller. No one had ever tried to get nearer than two meters away from her. It was a nice feeling, and the shock left her face fast as she puffed her cheeks in an annoyed but cute way. Her head turned slightly, her short hair shifting in a slow motion.
"It's not my fault I can't put back the books by myself! The shelves are too tall."
Gajeel laughed again and stopped tapping her, bending over to his right to pick up a book that was laying on the floor next to them.
"I can help ya with that. Do we need this one?" Levy stared at him with a confused look in her eyes, but she still shook her head, pointing the spot where the book belonged. Gajeel put the book back on a tall shelve where a space was held between other books.
Levy smiled again, knowing he meant no harm by his earlier comment. She nodded happily, and turned around while walking.
"Thanks! I think there are a few more books out of place. We can do that while we search your books. After that we can settle for your research, shall we? You have quite a list." The books she had earlier piled up started flying, and followed her as she turned around and started walking.
The Librarian was nothing like the tales said, and far from what Gajeel thought would be. A sweet, cute girl, obviously smart and incredibly normal. He felt comfortable around her, even had the foolish wish to be close to her. But, of course, he knew he couldn't.
And while they walked and searched and ordered, he couldn't help himself from staring at her more than needed. She was jumping slightly while books danced around her in harmony, doing the job she commanded them. Her voice was filled with an excited tone whilst she happily prepared herself to do her work, cheerfully smiling and talking nonstop to him about books and things he couldn't bring himself to listen. His mind was busy repeating the same thing over and over again. After all, he did care for the stories. Eventually, that happy girl would be erased from his memories and turned into something else, replaced, wiped away. And if Gajeel was certain of something, was that he didn't want to forget that girl.